Here at Kiwi Families, we love crafting ideas that are simple enough for little ones to have a go at, but difficult enough to keep older kids engaged. Toilet roll craft really fits the bill. Here’s 21 fun and easy craft ideas using the humble cardboard roll.
The projects below are really simple to recreate. But you can spend many hours getting as creative as you like with them. The best part is many of these ideas actually create toys that children can play, and interact with.
There’s definitely even a few projects in here that would make really cute gifts to give to friends or Grandparents, or even gifts for school teachers!
And this is just the beginning. Once you’ve had a taster of some of the projects below, we just know you’ll be inspired to start creating your own great cardboard roll craft ideas. Be sure to share them with us when you do!
21 Fun and Easy Cardboard Roll Craft Ideas for Kids
1. Toilet roll houses
There are so many things you can do with empty toilet rolls and paper towel rolls, it’s just a case of choosing something that your kids will find fun, and want to play with. These toilet roll houses should do the trick!
We found this craft idea really appealed to all of us. The toilet roll houses are a fun thing to do on a rainy day and they’re the kind of thing that kids of all ages can make and play with.
2. Toilet roll telescope – with optical illusion
Toilet rolls do take up a bit of storage room. But they’re so versatile for crafting, they really are worth holding on to. Then you can make these toilet roll telescopes – with optical illusion.
We decided we wanted to make telescopes the other day, for a bit of pretend pirate play, ‘argghhh!’
3. Toilet roll reindeer marionette
I just had to share this great craft that’s so easy to make with your kids. And you can find most of the things you need for it just lying around your home.
I made a toilet roll reindeer marionette, but you can easily turn these into all sorts of different characters. You could make giraffes, sausage dogs, birds, you’re really only limited by your imagination.
4. Toilet roll autumn trees
Whether or not it’s autumn where you live right now, it’s a great season to celebrate. I love the glowing light on a pleasant autumn evening.
And of course the leaves changing colour and falling are a beautiful sight too. Making these toilet roll autumn trees is the perfect craft, for the perfect season!
5. Toilet roll Halloween bat
I was having a look on Pinterest the other day to come up with some toilet roll craft ideas, when I saw toilet roll wool wrapped monsters.
This inspired me to make a series of toilet roll crafts for Halloween using wool. So far I’ve made a bat, a mummy and a spider!
6. Toilet roll halloween spider
Spiders are all around us. Some of us love them, some of us hate them and some of us just tolerate them. My daughter is someone who thinks they are cute. And my son is very wary of them!
But not matter if you’re a lover or a hater of spiders they’re always fun to make.
7. Toilet roll Halloween mummy
It’s that time of year again, where the ghouls come out to play. Well, the crafting ghouls anyways! And what better way to start than by making these toilet roll Halloween mummy’s…
This craft idea is super-easy and fun for pre-schoolers and up. The littlies will have lots of fun wrapping, and gluing on eyes. Older children can get even more creative.
8. Pretend hair cutting station
The other day, while dropping my little girl off at kindy, I noticed she was having trouble using the scissors, while other kids around her seemed quite capable.
So I decided to set up a play based learning activity that involved a pretend hair cutting station as a fun way to let her practise cutting.
9. Toilet roll craft – Paper flowers and vase
The other day my daughter and I made a butterfly toilet roll craft. Today my daughter decided our butterflies needed some flowers! So we created this cool toilet roll vase with paper flowers for our butterflies to enjoy.
This project is a little tricker for small hands. But kids 5 and up should find them relatively easy to make. Plus it’s a great craft to develop kids cutting and fine motor skills.
10. Toilet roll craft – Butterflies
Spring is in the air. So my daughter and I decided to do some garden-themed toilet roll craft, and make a butterfly each.
I wanted to make it really easy for my 4 year old to complete the butterfly, without too much interference from me.
11. How to make a toilet roll rocket ship
The kids and I spent half a day building toilet roll rocket ships with all the different left over paper we have lying around.
The kids were entertained for hours, and the rocket ships are still being used for various space missions around the lounge!
12. Make a toilet roll haunted tower scene
We love working on Halloween crafts at this time of the year, it really gets us into the festive spirit of it all. Here’s how to make a toilet roll haunted tower scene.
13. Toilet Roll Unicorn Marionette
I’ve started running art classes for kids and decided to give puppet making a go with my 5 – 7 year olds. I was looking for something economical and using recycled materials.
After a hunt around, I remembered making these reindeer marionette last year, and thought this idea would make a great Unicorn marionette too.
14. Toilet roll reindeer marionette
I just had to share this great craft that’s so easy to make with your kids. And you can find most of the things you need for it just lying around your own home.
I made a toilet roll reindeer marionette, but you can easily turn these into all sorts of different characters. You could make giraffes, sausage dogs, birds, you’re really just limited by your imagination.
15. How to make a toilet roll French knitting loom
Toilet rolls are a crafty way for kids to make a French knitting loom. It’s also a great way to introduce your kids to knitting and getting them interested in crafting.
With the colder months upon us it’s a good time to pull the wool out!
16. Toilet Roll Craft – How To Make A Parrot
This week the theme is Pirates, so what better craft than creating our very own pet Parrot to sit on our arm! Pirates is a great theme not only for homeschooling but for Pirate birthday party ideas too.
17. Cardboard Roll Racing Car Craft
I find our cardboard rolls in unusual places as the kids have been using them for swords, telescopes, tubes to send cars down… and other random activities they can imagine the humble roll into.
After making a Shoebox car park for the kids this month I thought a complementary craft would be a little racing car and why not use a cardboard tube to create it.
18. Cardboard Roll Cactus Stationery Holder
This cardboard roll stationery holder was really easy to make.
I love my cactus stationery holder because it’s a great way to keep my desk organised. I put all my felts and paint pens and brushes in it. It’s also really cute and makes me smile when I see it.
19. Cardboard Roll 10 Pin Bowling Game
We’ve made lots of cardboard roll crafts over the years. I love them because it reuses the rolls, they’re very easy for small hands to work with, and the ideas are endless.
Here’s a simple idea for making your own cardboard roll 10 pin bowling games.
20. Cardboard Roll Ring Toss Game
This project is also a great way to reuse those cardboard rolls and paper plates piling up in the recycling bin.
This ring toss game is super-easy to make, and it’s a great way to get your kids engaged in crafting as they get a game to play at the end.
21. Cardboard Roll Christmas Trees
We love adding new handmade things to the home to get into the Christmas spirit!
I’ve been doing a whole series using cardboard rolls. So I thought, what sort of interesting Christmas decorations can I make using the humble cardboard roll. The result is these lovely little cardboard roll Christmas trees.
We hope you loved some of these 21 fun and easy craft ideas for kids using cardboard rolls. For hundreds more great crafting ideas, check out our Creative arts and crafts section.
these are great ideas, and easy!